Improvement in mouth-pieces for musical instruments



C. G. CONN.

Mouth-Piece for Musical-Instruments.

No. 160,164 Patented Feb.23,1875..

WITNESSES INVENTOR gatwwv I I .By%/(;@Aiivmeys THE GRAPHIC CD-PHUTO whit-'39 1k 4'! PARK PLAGE,N.Y.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

CHARLES G. CONN, OF ELKHART, INDIANA IMPROVEMENT lN MOUTH-PIECES FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification forming part cf Letters Patent No. 160,164, dated February 23, 1875; application filed I December 5, 1874.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES G. CONN, of Elkhart, in the county of Elkhart and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mouth-Pieces for Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification:

My invention consists in constructing the mouth-piece or embouchure of wind-instruments with an elastic face where the mouthpiece comes in contact with the lips, the object being to prevent fatigue and injury to the lips, and enable the performer to play with much greater ease and certainty than is possible with the rigid mouthpiece now in use.

The accompanying drawing is a longitudinal section of a mouth-piece illustrating my invention.

A represents the shank, and B the embouchure of a mouth-piece, of any ordinary construction, for a wind-instrument of any description. 0 represents a flexible or elastic face, preferably constructed of soft india-rubber, and secured to the face of the ordinary embouchure B by cement or otherwise.

It will be observed that my improved construction of the embouchure is flexible, and

where the mouth-piece comes in contact with the lips it is soft, and hence does not destroy their sensibility by rendering them puffy, as does the metal mouth-piece; consequently it is never liable to produce a fuzzy tone. The performer can play in the upper register with the same ease and facility that he plays the lower tone, articulating each note perfectly, and never marring the beauty and finish of the part he isperforming by trying to humor a worn -out lip. The elasticity of the embouchure affords a cushion for the lips which does not prevent the circulation of blood while playing, and consequently it produces no swelling of the lips.

The improved mouth-piece may be handsomely finished, according to taste, or in any style similar to mouth'pieces in common use.

I claim as new and of my invention- The annular cushion O, of elastic material, applied to the face of a mouth-piece, B, of common form, in the manner specified.

CHARLES G. CONN. Witnesses:

CHAS. W. Frsn, J. M. VANFLEET. 

